LXVI. To Sister Anne Marie de Lage de Puylaurens, Assistant and Mistress of Novices at Bourges.
London Visitation Nuns (Harrow translation
Vive ✠ Jésus!
Annecy, 1626.
My very dear Daughter,
God has indeed favoured you in giving you His holy light and strength to extricate yourself from the dangerous temptation against your good, virtuous Mother. It is the devil's doing, in the hope of upsetting you both by disuniting you. God be blessed who has delivered you. Take great care never to fall into it again and keep invariably united to your written Rule, and to the living rule which is your Superior. For it may be that God will permit you to be under a very imperfect Superior, and, if so, endure it. The spirit of God is there for you, and think of nothing save that. Most assuredly, if faithful you will never come to grief by this road.
Yes, of course, dearest daughter, your timidity comes from self-love. For the love of God, master your inclination and live as the Rule tells us, according to reason and to the will of God. If you yourself do not make up your mind to this, there is no way of helping you. You can be told what you ought to do, but no one can do it but yourself. Be brave then. God requires this of you. He calls you to a high perfection, and your true way, the solitary road by which you can attain it, is by corresponding faithfully to the exact observance of the Institute, and this with a holy fervour of spirit, humbly, sweetly and simply. It consoles me to hear that you have cut short your introspections, and that you are more tranquil in the desire for your advancement, this eagerness comes from nothing but self-love. Be watchful against it always, I beg of you, and accustom yourself to regard the will of God in all things and to unite yourself to it. There is nothing changed in the ceremonial. You can take as you think fit from the Book of Customs and the Spiritual Directory for the instruction of your Novices, whom I affectionately salute, and you also whom my soul cherishes with a special and cordial love. I beseech of you to be cordial and generous.